Article: Home-Schooling with Signing Time

Home-Schooling with Signing Time

submitted by Bridget E. from Elkton, MD

I just want to share with you how Signing Time has been such an amazing gift in my family. We started to use as part of our home- school second language curriculum for our four-year old daughter, Sabrina, who has an incredibly huge signing vocabulary. We usually watch Signing Time and then set out to apply those vocabulary words into the “real world.” We use home-made flashcards to reinforce the signs shown on the DVD and play games of “I Spy” using sign language. My daughter practices writing the words from the DVDs as well, so that she can start recognizing them in print. She also practices fingerspelling each word. We sign everywhere.

It seems there is always an opportunity to learn and reinforce the words and signs while we take our field trips. When we go to the grocery store I will sign what is on my list to my daughter and she will go find the item. When we go to the zoo or aquarium, we do the same thing. We both practice signing the animal we see, as well as characteristics describing that animal. We also use ASL when we practice math or when we practice counting, including everything that is added or subtracted (whether on paper or physical objects). Sabrina has done so well that she can count orally and sign up to the number 30. Another thing we do is incorporate a “voices off” time in the house that allows her to practice and apply the sign language she has learned.

Sabrina has a quest for constant knowledge and asks for signs that aren’t shown on the videos on a daily basis. We are so grateful to Two Little Hands Productions for all the excellent Signing Time products and how much they have benefited our family. Thank you!